VCE Drama and Theatre Studies
2013 Playlist
VCE Drama and Theatre Studies 2013 Playlists
The following plays have been selected for study in 2013. This list should be used in conjunction with
requirements set out in the VCE Drama Study Design 2007–2013 and VCE Theatre Studies Study
Design 2007–2013.
Notes
1.
Schools should use this information to select play/s as required for Units 3 and 4 Drama and
Theatre Studies and make bookings in a timely manner. Note, details regarding performance
dates and times should be confirmed when booking as changes may occur. Please check the
February edition of the VCAA Bulletin VCE, VCAL & VET for updated information.
2.
While the VCAA considers all plays on this list suitable for study, teachers should be aware that in
some instances sensitivity might be needed where particular issues or themes are explored.
Teachers should make themselves aware of these issues and themes prior to students viewing
the play and/or studying the playscript, for example by reading the playscript, talking with the
theatre company and/or attending a preview performance. Information provided in this notice
about themes and/or language used in specific plays is a guide.
3.
Schools should note that in some plays a variety of suggestive and potentially offensive words
and phrases are used. They occur with intermittent frequency. However, this language may invite
adverse comment from some areas of the community. This information is provided in the entry for
each play.
4.
For VCE Theatre Studies Unit 3, students must study the playscript and the performance. For
this unit the only version of the playscript that students are required to study is the one
used as the basis for the performance students will attend. In some cases this playscript will
be a ‘working script’.
5.
For VCE Drama Unit 3 and Theatre Studies Unit 4, students are NOT required to study the
playscript. The playscript can be a valuable learning resource in these units, however theatre
companies are not obliged to provide copies of the script for these plays.
Drama Unit 3 2013 Playlist
The following plays have been selected for study in 2013.This list should be considered in conjunction
with the requirements set out in Unit 3 Outcome 3 in the VCE Drama Study Design. Students will
undertake an assessment task based on the performance of a play on the Playlist. Question/s will also
be set on the performances of the plays in the end-of-year Drama written examination.
Notes
1.
Information provided in this notice about themes and/or language used in specific plays is a
guide. While the VCAA considers all plays on this list suitable for study, teachers should be aware
that in some instances sensitivity might be needed where particular issues or themes are
explored. Teachers should make themselves aware of these issues and themes prior to students
viewing the play and/or studying the playscript, for example by reading the playscript, talking with
the theatre company and/or attending a preview performance.
2.
Schools should note that in Beached, Button and No Child a variety of suggestive and potentially
offensive words and phrases are used. They occur with intermittent frequency. However, this
language may invite adverse comment from some areas of the community.
2013 VCE Drama and Theatre Studies Playlist
1
1. Beached by Melissa Bubnic
Produced by: Melbourne Theatre Company
Venue: Southbank Theatre, Lawler Studio
Season: 22 April – 10 May, performances at 1.30 pm and 7.30 pm Mon–Fri, except Anzac Day. See
mtc.com.au for complete performance schedule.
Tickets: metro school groups $24 per student, regional school groups $21 per student, 1
complimentary teacher ticket per 10 students, additional adult tickets $40, youth tickets $25
Bookings and enquiries: MTC Education, [email protected] or (03) 8688 0963
Beached is a very contemporary and highly satirical comedy about Arty. Arty is larger than life; in fact
he is obese. He desperately wants to change his life, but his mum has other ideas! Essentially
Beached is a coming of age story about a young man who longs for a normal life. The play explores
consumer culture, individual difference, disability, exclusion, reality TV and the media. The theatrical
styles in Beached are heightened and very non-naturalistic, including aspects of the absurd, magic
realism and black comedy. Four actors play approximately 15 roles. The stagecraft will incorporate
puppetry, multi-media and animation. The play is written with the intention of being shocking and this
is, in part, what makes the satire so effective. The audience is supposed to gasp at the
inappropriateness and lack of political correctness.
Warning: Contains infrequent use of coarse language, some challenging themes, some sexual
references.
2. Boxman by Daniel Keene
Produced by: Regional Arts Victoria co-produced with Big West Festival
Venues and season: 2 April – 4 May
2 April, 8.00 pm
Shirley Burke Theatre, Parkdale
13 April, 3.00 pm and 7.00 pm
Her Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat
15 April, 8.00 pm
Benalla Performing Arts Centre
16 April, 7.30 pm
Wangaratta Performing Arts Centre
18 April, 1.30 pm and 8.00 pm
Frankston Arts Centre
19 April, 8.00 pm
Burrinja Cultural Centre, Upwey
23 April, 11.00 am
Wyndham Civic Centre, Werribee
24 April, 8.00 pm
Wyndham Civic Centre, Werribee
26 April, 7.00 pm
Gasworks Arts Park, Albert Park
27 April, 4.00 pm and 8.00 pm
Gasworks Arts Park, Albert Park
29 April, 8.00 pm
Colac Otway Performing Arts and Cultural Centre
30 April, 3.00 pm and 7.30 pm
Kyneton Town Hall, Kyneton
1 & 2 May, 8.00 pm
Geelong Performing Arts Centre
3 May, 11.00 am and 8.00 pm
Geelong Performing Arts Centre
4 May, 1.00 pm and 8.00 pm
Geelong Performing Arts Centre
Bookings: Please contact venues directly
Enquiries: Regional Arts Victoria Education and Families Officer, Sarah Bell, [email protected] or
(03) 9644 1808
2013 VCE Drama and Theatre Studies Playlist
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Boxman is a one-actor performance that tells the story of a displaced African man who finds himself
living in a makeshift cardboard home in a Footscray Park. The play explores social issues of
homelessness, the plight of child soldiers, asylum seekers juxtaposed with Western consumerism.
The performance includes non-naturalistic elements of heightened language, puppetry, multiple time
frames, transformation of props, song and direct address.
Warning: Contains some challenging themes.
3. Button by Carole Patullo and Jane Bayly
Produced by: Dramatico/La Mama
Venue: La Mama Courthouse Theatre, 349 Drummond Street, Carlton
Season: 29 May – 16 June
Wed & Sun 6.30 pm, Thu–Sat 7.30 pm, matinees Wed at 1.00 pm and Thu at 11.00 am.
Tickets: Students, concession and teachers accompanying students $30 (including show, after show
forum and published copy of script)
Bookings and enquiries: La Mama (03) 9347 6948 or [email protected]
What holds us together? I imagined being here. Funny where you end up. Big things, little things … an
ingrown hair, the famine, favourite pen, no evidence of a cohesive plan, mangoes, x-rays, dinner on
the table, a noise through the wall. To push or not to push …
Button is a performance about two women who live alone but side by side. One day they meet over a
jar of buttons and an awkward friendship begins. They share longings and secrets and discover more
than they bargained for. Button investigates connection and disconnection between human beings and
uses a non-linear narrative revealing story and character through dance, gesture, direct address, song
and live sound-accompaniment.
Warning: Contains infrequent use of coarse language.
4. Cut Snake by Dan Giovannoni, Amelia Evans and Paige Rattray
Produced by: Arthur/Theatre Works
Previews: 25–26 February, 7.00 pm
Season: 27 February – 9 March, 7.00 pm, matinee performances at 11.30 am Wed, Fri & additional
weekdays by arrangement
25 Feb – 1 March, 8.00 pm, matinee performances at 11.30 am Wed, Fri & additional weekdays by
arrangement
Venue: Theatre Works, 14 Acland Street, St Kilda. The performance will take place in a secret
location close to Theatre Works
Enquiries: [email protected] or (03) 9534 4879
Bookings: (03) 9534 3388
Tickets: students $20 (plus $1.00 booking fee; one complementary adult ticket per 10 students),
adults $30 plus booking fee, concession/non student groups $25 plus booking fee
Can you ever get over the death of a loved one – especially a teenager? How do you live an
extraordinary life in an ordinary world? How do you maintain connection with your friends? How can
you look to the future with hope when the adult world seems so depressing? Cut Snake explores these
questions in a truthful and complex way. The story begins with Jumper narrating his own death in a
bus accident in Asia, and then goes forward and back in time as we learn more about him, his friends
and what effect his death has had on them. Three actors present multiple characters in a performance
that includes physical theatre, dance, direct address, character transformation and cross gender
casting.
Warning: Contains infrequent use of coarse language, and some challenging themes.
2013 VCE Drama and Theatre Studies Playlist
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5. No Child … written and performed by Nilaja Sun
Produced by: in Australia by Theatre Works
Venue: Theatre Works, 14 Acland Street, St Kilda
Season: 7–19 May Tue–Sat at 8.00 pm, Wed & Thu at 1.00 pm, Sun at 5.00 pm
Bookings and enquiries:
[email protected] or (03) 9534 3388
Tickets: students $25 (plus $1.00 booking fee, 1 teacher free per 10 students), adults $45 (plus
booking fee), concession $35 (plus booking fee)
Venue: Geelong Performing Arts Centre, 50 Little Malop St, Geelong
Season: Friday 31 May @ 1.00 pm and 7.00 pm
Bookings & Enquiries: Kelly Clifford, Youth and Education Program Coordinator, (03) 5225 1207,
[email protected]
Tickets: students $20 (1 teacher free for every 20 students or part thereof), adults $35 inclusive of
$3.70 booking fee, concession $30 inclusive of $3.70 booking fee
In No Child writer and performer Nilaja Sun, tells the story of her experiences as a teaching artist at
Malcolm X High School in New York City. Using seamless transformation of character on a minimal
set, the performance explores the staging of a student production Our Country’s Good by Timberlake
Wertenbaker, a play about a group of convicts who perform a play in Sydney in the 1790s. No Child
takes the audience on a journey of personal triumph as the students, despite the various challenges
they face, present a performance for their friends and families. The set is five chairs, and the only prop
is a mop. The minimalist nature of the design is what highlights the strength of the performer and one
of the charms of the work. No Child affirms the power of theatre and good teaching!
Warnings: Contains infrequent use of coarse language.
Note: Script is available from http://www.dramatists.com/cgi-bin/db/single.asp?key=3876
6. School Dance by Matthew Whittet
Produced by: Arts Centre Melbourne presents a Windmill Theatre production
Venue: Playhouse Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne
Season: 10–14 & 16–20 April at 6.30 pm and 17–19 April at 1.00 pm
Tickets: students $14, general public $29/$26.50 (4-plus tickets)
School group bookings at $14 per ticket are available to all performances when booked through a
teacher: email [email protected] or phone (03) 9281 8582
Bookings and enquiries: Arts Centre Melbourne, 1300 182 183 or www.artscentremelbourne.com.au
Comprehensive booking forms are available at www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/education
Your school can apply for subsidy online via the First Call Fund. Go to
artscentremelbourne.com.au/firstcallfund or phone (03) 9281 8714
This is a story of three teenage boys.
They're going to the school dance.
They're on a mission. But they are losers.
First there's Matt. He's 15, although he doesn't look it. Then there's Luke, also 15. Luke likes dancing.
And for a loser, he's pretty good at it. Neither Matt nor Luke has a girlfriend (if you hadn't already
guessed).
Then there's Jonathon. Even though he's taller, he's only 14. He's excited about the dance - as long as
he doesn't run into Derek Sturgess …
2013 VCE Drama and Theatre Studies Playlist
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These three are the awkward kids. The invisible teens. Fuelled by a diet of raging hormones and mee
goreng noodles, they exist in a misfit realm, navigating complex waters with little success.
A highly personal work that, just like its central protagonists, is funny, sad, scary, weird, really stupid,
endearing and repulsive … (Windmill Theatre website)
A new Australian theatre piece filled with humour and creative innovation, School Dance explores a
range of themes including the awkwardness, loneliness, family, social and school issues of
adolescence with poignancy and imagination. It is littered with cultural references and metaphors,
using pop, gaming and other aspects of modern film culture to explore the lives of three misfit
protagonists. The theatrical style is episodic and the work leaps across time as we follow the
character’s journeys towards making it big at the school dance.
Warning: Contains infrequent use of coarse language and some challenging themes.
Theatre Studies Unit 3
Notes
1.
For this unit, students must study the playscript in addition to viewing a performance of a selected
play. Students must study the playscript used as the basis for development of the
performance they attend; in some cases, this will be a ‘working script’ provided by the theatre
company. Students are not required to study multiple versions of the script. Playscripts are
available through commercial sources or in some cases will be made available by the theatre
companies for all plays on the Unit 3 Theatre Studies Playlist. Further information is provided
below in relation to specific plays.
2.
Information provided in this notice about themes and/or language used in specific plays is a
guide.
3.
While the VCAA considers all plays on this list suitable for study, teachers should be aware that in
some instances sensitivity might be needed where particular issues or themes are explored.
Teachers should make themselves aware of these issues and themes prior to students viewing
the play and/or studying the playscript, for example by reading the playscript, talking with the
theatre company and/or attending a preview performance.
4.
Schools should note that in Other Desert Cities, Robot Vs Art and The Club a variety of
suggestive and potentially offensive words and phrases are used. They occur with intermittent
frequency. However, this language may invite adverse comment from some areas of the
community.
1. The Good Person of Sichuan by Bertolt Brecht adapted by Laurence Strangio
Produced by: La Mama Theatre/Laurence Strangio
Venue: La Mama Courthouse, 349 Drummond St, Carlton
Season: 8–26 May, Wed & Sun 6.30 pm, Thu–Sat 7.30 pm, weekday matinees Wed 1.00 pm & Thu
11.00 am
Tickets: students and accompanying teachers $20.00 (includes after-show forum and notes), adults
$25.00
Bookings and enquiries: La Mama (03) 9347 6948 or [email protected]
This production of The Good Person of Sichuan offers a contemporary interpretation of this iconic
work. The production is set in the Epic Theatre style but also reflects influences of Boal’s Forum
Theatre model. The production uses non-naturalistic acting, episodic structure, songs and narration to
examine the story of Shen Te, asking the question ‘How can good people stay good in a world of
poverty and cruelty?’
2013 VCE Drama and Theatre Studies Playlist
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The cast will include seven actors, one who plays the central double role of Shen Te/Shu Ta and the
others each taking multiple roles, often simultaneously.
Note: Various translations of this play are available and schools should select one for study prior to
attending the performance. Laurence Strangio's adaptation will be discussed in notes provided at the
after-show forum.
2. Other Desert Cities by Jon Robin Baitz
Produced by: Melbourne Theatre Company
Venue: Southbank Theatre, The Sumner
Season: 2 March – 17 April 2013, previews, 8.00 pm, Mon & Tue 6.30 pm, Wed 1pm & 8pm, Thu and
Fri 8.00 pm, Sat 4.00 pm & 8.30 pm
Tickets: metro school groups $24 per student, regional school groups $21 per student, 1
complimentary teacher ticket per 10 students, additional adult tickets $40, youth tickets $25
Bookings and enquiries: MTC Education, [email protected] or (03) 8688 0963
Former Republican Senator Lyman Wyeth and his wife Polly have it all: wealth, fame and a political
legacy of real muscle. In the sun-drenched comfort of Palm Springs they welcome their family back
home for Christmas for the first time in years. But when their daughter Brooke announces she’s written
a tell-all memoir about the incident that changed their lives, they feel old wounds begin to re-open.
Starring Robyn Nevin, this production will feature work by Associate Artistic Director Sam Strong and
the stage design of visual artist Callum Morton.
Other Desert Cities is a contemporary American play in a naturalistic style that raises interesting
issues concerning families, politics, war and morality. It contains many challenging ideas, and does not
provide any easy answers. The action takes place over twenty-four hours.
Warning: Contains infrequent use of coarse language, some challenging themes and a suicide
reference
2013 VCE Drama and Theatre Studies Playlist
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3. Robot Vs Art by Travis Cotton
Produced by: La Mama/Travis Cotton
Venue: La Mama Courthouse Theatre, 349 Drummond Street, Carlton
Season: 17 April – 5 May, Wed & Sun 6.30pm, Thu–Sat 7.30 pm, weekday matinees usually at 1.00
pm Wed & 11.00 am Thu
Tickets: students and accompanying teachers $30.00 (incl show, after show forum & published copy
of script), adults $25.00
Bookings and enquiries: La Mama (03) 9347 6948
Robot Vs Art is a comedy in a farcical style, set in a time when robots have wiped out 90 per cent of
humanity and assigned the remaining 10 per cent of the population to hard labour in sustainable
underground mines. This play focuses on the relevance of Art within our society. Without feelings, the
robots cannot understand or appreciate Art. We see the world through the robots’ eyes as they explore
and challenge the place of Art through the writing and performance of a play. This non-naturalistic
production features fast-paced comic delivery. The staging uses out-dated rather than futuristic
technology with the robots running on tape and old dial-up modem SFX and slide projectors preferred
to their modern digital counterparts. Within the play is a slideshow of some of history's most influential
Art, from Da Vinci to Banksy.
Warning: Contains infrequent use of coarse language
4. The Club by David Williamson
Produced by: HIT Productions
Venues and Season
26 April, 8.00 pm
Drum Theatre, Dandenong (03) 9771 6666
27 April, 8.00 pm
Burrinji, Upwey (03) 9754 8723
30 April, 8.00 pm
Latrobe Performing Arts Centre, Traralgon (03) 5176 3559
1 May, 8.00 pm
West Gippsland Arts Centre, Warragul (03) 5624 2456
2–4 May, 8.00 pm
Knox Community Arts Centre, Bayswater (03) 9729 7287
6 May, 8.00 pm
Wonthaggi Community Arts Centre (03) 5627 1083
7 May, 8.00 pm
Shirley Burke Theatre, Parkdale (03) 9556 4440
8 May, 2.00 pm
10 May, 2.00 pm & 8.00 pm
Potato Shed, Drysdale (03) 5251 1998
11 May 8.00 pm
Healesville Memorial Hall (03) 5965 3528
16–18 May, 8.00 pm
Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne
Ticketek Group Bookings 1300 364 001
17 May, 11.00 am
18 May, 2.00 pm
22 May, 8.00 pm
Wesley Performing Arts Centre, Horsham
Tickets: Prices vary according to each venue’s individual pricing structures. Approximate price range
is $35 to $50 (adults), with student prices approximately $25.
Bookings and enquiries: Contact venues directly or visit www.hitproductions.com.au for more
information.
David Williamson’s Australian theatre classic The Club follows the seismic shift from Australian sport
to Australian business. Set in the 1970s in a Melbourne football club the play is a blend of naturalism
and comedy. Using the club as a metaphor for the workings of a corporate institution and workplace,
the play looks at themes such as loyalty, tradition, teamwork, integrity and commercial greed. Central
to the play are the tensions and machinations surrounding characters who represent traditional ways
2013 VCE Drama and Theatre Studies Playlist
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of working, those who work for the team and those involved in brash new ways of conducting
business.
Warning: Contains infrequent use of coarse language, some sexual references and some drug
references.
Theatre Studies Unit 4
Notes
For this unit students are not required to study the playscript in conjunction with the performance.
1. Information provided in this notice about themes and/or language used in specific plays is a guide.
2. While the VCAA considers all plays on this list suitable for study, teachers should be aware that in
some instances sensitivity might be needed where particular issues or themes are explored.
Teachers should make themselves aware of these issues and themes prior to students viewing
the play and/or studying the playscript, for example by reading the playscript, talking with the
theatre company and/or attending a preview performance.
3. Schools should note that in BARASSI, and The Cherry Orchard a variety of suggestive and
potentially offensive words and phrases are used. They occur with intermittent frequency.
However, this language may invite adverse comment from some areas of the community.
1. A Sunburnt History: The true story behind Burke and Wills’ ill-fated expedition
Produced by: Australian Classical Theatre presented by Regional Arts Victoria
Venue and Season: Mon 3 June – Fri 14 June, with possible extension during June/July. The show is
touring directly into schools across Victoria as part of a Regional Arts Victoria’s Education and
Families program.
Tickets: Base rate of $780 plus GST for up to 130 students, with additional students at $6 each less
eligible subsidy for schools in remote areas or difficult circumstances.
Bookings and enquiries: Regional Arts Victoria Education and Families Officer, Sarah Bell,
[email protected] or (03) 9644 1808
An Irishman, an Englishman and a horse go on an epic journey across Australia. Sounds like a joke?
The Burke and Wills expedition of 1860 from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria largely was. From
embarrassing committee decisions and shoddy selection processes, through to the swamps at the
Gulf, the audience follows the journey mistake by mistake as it actually happened. A Sunburnt History
concerns the iconic Burke and Wills story, which has become Australian legend. A statue stands in
honour of these men’s feats in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD. The truth, however, is that the
expedition was a calamitous disaster from start to finish. This play is not a mere representation of
history as we have come to know it, but a timely and necessary re-examination of the truth that has
been blurred over the four generations since. In this story, truth is indeed stranger than fiction; the
extent of their failure at times beggars belief, revealing the hilarity of the situation perpetuated by our
historical heroes. This is not history retold but history re-examined. If you think you know the true
heroes, think again.
The tale not only holds all the elements of an extraordinary yarn straight out of the pages of a boys’
own magazine but also raises such questions as why do we (as a nation) venerate failure in our
history? How do these people get the jobs in the first place and fail to such an extent? Is it because of
the loss of life that they then achieve hero status? It goes to the heart of nation-building and what we
celebrate and why we celebrate and commemorate it.
2013 VCE Drama and Theatre Studies Playlist
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2. Barassi: The Stage Show by Tee O’Neill
Produced by: Jager Productions
Venues and Season: Note, only the August-September season of Barassi has been selected for the
VCE Playlist. The April season has not been selected. There are two venues for the August season:

23–24 August, 8.00 pm, Karralyka Theatre, Mines Road, East Ringwood
Tickets: full: $41.50 concession/groups 8+: $38.50
Bookings: Karralyka Centre Box Office, Mines Road, Ringwood East
Phone: (03) 9879 2933
Fax: (03) 9870 2283
Email: [email protected]
Box Office is open 9.30 am to 4.30 pm Monday to Friday.

2–29 September, 1.30 pm and 7.30 pm, Athenaeum Theatre, Collins Street Melbourne
Tickets: students $26 (minimum group size 20, 1 teacher free per 20 students), adults $60–70,
concession $50
Booking details for the Athenaeum Theatre performances: TBC
Enquiries: [email protected]
Barassi: The Stage Show is an epic historical drama. It is a Melbourne story that spans 40 years and
explores the life of ‘Mr Football’, Ron Barassi, a legendary player and enigmatic coach who changed
the face of Australian Rules football. In the production, Barassi’s rise to football stardom and coaching
brilliance is set against a background of incredible social and political change in this country – the
migrant story, World War II, the changing roles of women, the evolution of music and popular culture,
the development of television and its impact on the game. Central to the production are the characters
of Ron Barassi – played by two different actors – and Norm Smith, the legendary Melbourne football
coach.
The production is highly theatrical and told in a series of short episodes, linked by the character of
Melba, the narrator, and a staunch Collingwood supporter. Using direct address, stylised movement,
vignettes, music, projection, comedy, and drama, an ensemble of nine actors play over 40 different
roles in order to bring the story of Ron Barassi’s football career to life. Barassi: The Stage Show is
humorous, dramatic, moving and engaging.
Warning: Contains infrequent use of coarse language.
3. Molly Sweeney by Brian Friel
Produced by: The Old Van Ltd
Season and venue: August 2013, Footscray Community Arts Centre, Moreland Street, Footscray
Dates and times: 15 August 7.00pm, 16 August 10.30 am and 7.00 pm, 17 August 7.00 pm,
18 August 1.00 pm, 22 August 7.00 pm, 23 August 10.30 am and 7.00 pm, 24 August 7.00 pm,
25 August 1.00 pm
Bookings and enquiries: [email protected] or [email protected]
Molly Sweeney tells the story of a woman who has been blind since infancy, and undergoes an
operation to restore her sight. The play tells Molly's story through monologues by three characters:
Molly, her husband Frank, and her surgeon, Mr Rice. This play is almost a parable in its simplicity, and
the complexities of motivation and relationship that drive the characters, form the heart of the play.
How do we experience the world? How do we understand it? What is disability? How can we trust that
what we see is real? The piece is intense and poetic and will be presented using very simple
resources. Molly Sweeney is written as a series of intercut monologues: the non-linear style of writing
is intense and intimate. The three connected characters talk directly with the audience but never
directly to each other. Intimacy and isolation is reflected in the staging.
2013 VCE Drama and Theatre Studies Playlist
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Warning: Contains some challenging themes.
4. Sunday in the Park with George by Stephen Sondheim
Produced by: Victorian Opera
Venue & Season: 20–27 July, The Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne
Tickets: $25 per student and teacher
Bookings: 1300 182 183 or online www.victorianopera.com.au
Enquiries: Melissa Harris, Education Manager
Phone: (03) 9012 6652
Email: [email protected]
Sunday in the Park with George is a music-theatre work in two parts. The first act is set in Paris in the
19th century and explores the life of artist George Seurat, the development of pointillism and the
nature of creativity as Georges’ paintings are re-created by, and around, him. The second act is set in
modern times and introduces an installation artist who could be Seurat’s grandson. Actors interact with
stagecraft in dynamic ways and play different roles in each of the acts. Songs in a range of styles are
used to further the narrative. The production creates a highly imaginative world and it requires the
performers to play several roles generations apart.
5. The Cherry Orchard by Simon Stone after Anton Chekhov
Produced by: Melbourne Theatre Company
Venue: Southbank Theatre, The Sumner
Season: 10 August – 25 September, previews 8.00 pm, Mon & Tue 6.30 pm, Wed 1.00 pm & 8.00
pm, Thu & Fri 8.00 pm, Sat 4.00 pm & 8.30 pm
Tickets: metro school groups $24/student, regional school groups $21/student, 1 complimentary
teacher ticket per 10 students, additional adult tickets $40, youth tickets $25
Bookings and enquiries: MTC Education, [email protected] or (03) 8688 0963
Spoilt and sentimental Ranevskaya, played by Pamela Rabe, returns to her large country estate
seeking refuge from a failed love affair and impending bankruptcy. However, the estate is also facing
financial difficulties. Neither Ranevskaya nor her brother is willing to face the realities of their situation.
A former servant has a plan that challenges Ranevksaya’s values.
Originally written as a comedy, the play in rehearsal became Chekov’s last great tragedy. Simon
Stone’s adaptation of The Cherry Orchard will explore aspects of both comedy and tragedy in a
contemporary re-imagining of Chekhov’s classic text. Stone’s recent adaptations of other classic texts
ensure that the central issues of the play – identity, social change and subverted expectations – will be
carefully and skilfully explored.
Warning: Contains infrequent use of coarse language and some adult themes.
6. The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare
Produced by: Bell Shakespeare
Venues and Season:
17 August, 8.00 pm, Frankston Arts Centre, Box Office: (03) 9784 1060
20–31 August, Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne, Tue 6.30 pm, Wed–Sat 7.30 pm, Sun 5.00 pm,
matinees at 2.00 pm on 24 August, 28 August and 31 August; for school matinee bookings (Wed 28
August) contact Bell Shakespeare Learning: 1300 305 730.
For evening and weekend bookings contact the Arts Centre Melbourne Box Office on 1300 182 183
27 September, 8.00 pm, Mildura Arts Centre, Box Office: (03) 5018 8330
2013 VCE Drama and Theatre Studies Playlist
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Tickets:
Arts Centre Melbourne
School matinee price
Student: $30
Arts Centre Melbourne
Evening and weekend prices
If teachers wish to take
students to evening or
weekend performances,
they must pay
evening/weekend prices.
Concession tickets are
available.
Please contact Arts Centre Melbourne
for ticket prices.
Frankston Arts Centre
Ticket price is at the
discretion of the venue.
Please contact Frankston Arts Centre
for ticket prices.
Mildura Arts Centre
Ticket price is at the
discretion of the venue.
Please contact Mildura Arts Centre for
ticket prices.
Teacher: $30
1 complimentary teacher ticket per 20
student tickets booked
Two sets of identical twins are separated at birth when they're rescued from a shipwreck. And when
they end up in the same shifty, transitory port-town of Ephesus fully grown, we join them on their
bizarre journey of reconciliation. As they collide unknowingly with each other's friends and family, it's
not long before this absurd tale of mistaken identity and far-fetched coincidence unfolds in chaotic
hilarity.
Director Imara Savage takes on one of Shakespeare's earliest comedies with style. Sharp banter and
comical word-play lure us into a contemporary world where characters are reinvented, individuality is
fluid, and bigger themes lie just below the surface.
Over the course of this fast-paced comedy, truths are increasingly unstable, accidents more
unfortunate and the boundary between what's real and what isn't becomes even more tenuous.
Drawing from a range of comedic traditions, performers will move from the physicality of slap stick to
the stillness of stand-up comedy.
2013 VCE Drama and Theatre Studies Playlist
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